Showing posts with label Mike McNair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike McNair. Show all posts

Saturday, March 30, 2013

New Releases from 4RV

by Vivian Zabel

     4RV Publishing has just released or will release within the next few weeks the following books: Rebuilding Your Life by the Owner's Design by Danny R Von Kanel; Boo's Bad Day by Penny Lockwood (aka Penny Ehrenkranz), illustrated by Deborah C. Johnson; Tales from Mike's World by Mike McNair; Kimmy Finds Her Key by Wayne Harris-Wyrick, illustrated by Bridget McKenna; and A Wandering Warrior by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.

     Building Your Life by the Owner's Design shows readers they can build their lives one frame at a time, taking them through the five spiritual growth stages and lead to a life that has meaning, impacts their world, and brings glory to God. When asked why people would want to buy his book, Danny Von Kanel replied:

Though the market has its share of books on spiritual maturity or personal growth, none offer five stages of maturity, none use a construction metaphor throughout in addressing spiritual maturity, and none attempt to place biblical characters in stages of maturity. Building Your Life by the Owner's Design also differs from other books in its use of building scriptural analysis, assessment checklist, sample surveys, and unique research.



     

     Boo's Bad Day takes readers to a day in the life of kitten Boo, who sneaks out the house and discovers that freedom, by himself, can be scary. Readers experience the frightful things Boo encounters and the lesson learned.

     Penny Lockwood's words are brought to life by Deborah C. Johnson. Together they create an adventure story for children of all ages.







     Mike McNair's heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery in 2000 triggered a strange side effect -- a compulsion to write. Since the attack, he has written two hundred newspaper articles, a novel (A Distant Summer, 4RV), a children's picture book (Sammy the Shivering Snowblower, 4RV), and a story that's been read by millions on the Internet.

     Tales from Mike's World includes dozens of short tales that range from offbeat humorous to thought-provoking serious. 

     Cover art is by Aidana WillowRaven.






    A soon-to-be released picture book Kimmy Finds Her Key, by Wayne Harris-Wyrick, contains a story that helps children understand that "things" aren't the key to happiness. When Kimmy's mom tells her to find her key, Kimmy doesn't understand at first, but she begins the search.

      Bridget McKenna uses her quirky style to bring another children's story to life.







   The final soon-to-be released is an adventure-historical-romance by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr.: A Wandering Warrior

  As he excels with historical stories, Harry continues his story-telling with A Wandering Warrior.
   
    A Wandering Warrior, an action–adventure novel, takes place in twelfth century England. Thomas Beaumont, a commoner, warrior and an itinerant soldier, loses his uncle in battle and his brother through the duplicity of another. He wanders over the country, using his skills to live and to search for the man who killed his brother. 
   
    His search brings him the love of a traveling young woman, but romance must wait for revenge.  The twists and turns of fate challenge the warrior in many ways, often creating doubt for success. The goals at the ends of his searches hold a reader’s interest.

     Cover art is by Aidana WillowRaven.

4RV Bookstore   
 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Promotion: Review of A Distant Summer -- The Midwest Book Review

posted by Vivian Zabel 

          A Distant Summer by Mike McNair is reviewed in the October issue of The Midwest Book Review.

A Distant Summer
Mike McNair
4RV Publishing LLC
PO Box 6482, Edmond OK 73083
9780982588680, $17.99

Mike McNair introduces this coming of age story, A Distant Summer, with the memories of Mike Long, a physics professor, who has returned to his home town to attend The Commander's funeral.

"He looked about. At least some things in the little southern Indiana town that straddled the Gibson-Vanderburgh county line had stayed the same. Oak was narrow, like most Potter streets, in sharp contrast to the familiar Madison, Wisconsin multilane thoroughfares."

Players in this memory included Jim, the owner of Squall Baby, a barn pigeon, Mike's grandfather, Heidi, Mike's secret love interest (as far back as first grade) and various other relatives and townspeople, both good and bad.

As the story unfolds, Mike visits some of his old haunts that bring back memories of his fifth grade year and the following summer. During this time frame, Jim and Mike accept a new member of the secret agents, come up with a few new types of "secret missions" involving Squall Baby, save a mother and son from an abusive husband and the boys are kidnapped. The story of these and other escapades are the core of the adventures the three boys and the pigeon go through.

You must read this book to fill in the missing pieces and find out what happens. It will surprise, sadden and delight you.

The author is a retired English teacher and counselor who now spends his time writing. He writes a biweekly humor column for the Midwest News, an online newspaper that serves southwest Wisconsin and northwest Iowa. He also writes an e-publication called the Hooticat Newsletter that he sends out to annoy relatives. He has two grown children and lives in Richland Center, Wisconsin with his wife, Nancy.


Katherine Boyer
Reviewer


          A Distant Summer is available during the holiday sale on the 4RV Bookstore.


4RV Publishing website